Prediction 2025 Best 23

[ant555]

Hobbs was the one who missed out for me as I thought Tsatas would go past him. I almost had him in instead of Prior but needed the extra defender.

Personally not going Tsatas until I see how his kicking is going.

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

Feels like a make or break year for the 5 top picks we had 2020-22.

 

[Chief Hopper]

No 2MP..??!! We just lost Stringer who kicked 129 goals over the last 4 seasons with us - 2MP is not far behind with 120 goals- or an average of 30 per season. Do you think Draper/Caddy/Bryan are capable of kicking 30 goals or 30+ goals this year? I'd say thats highly unlikely so for now 2MP must play...

I'd persist with Draper over 2MP at this time.
Draper will contested mark the ball, crash packs or bring the ball to ground as a POD in our fwd line.
2MP can't do any of that at the moment, in particular he can't mark anything even with his height. Seems he needs a spell in the 2s to get his body right.

 

[ant555]

Feels like a make or break year for the 5 top picks we had 2020-22.

For them and the list as a whole. More pain coming if they can not find another level.

 

[Bombers36]

No doubt Draper is a lock because of the energy he brings and his ability to compete be it in the ruck or up forward. I guess it’s a case of what do you prefer - the Draper/Bryan combo or Draper/2MP - and for me Id prefer 2MP over Bryan at this stage.
Also taking Draper out of the ruck and playing him as mainly a forward your kind of robbing Peter to pay Paul - or robbing Peter to pay Bryan - well - you get what I mean..!!
The bottom line is we can’t have all of Draper, 2MP and Bryan in the same team

 

[jdstorm]

No doubt Draper is a lock because of the energy he brings and his ability to compete be it in the ruck or up forward. I guess it’s a case of what do you prefer - the Draper/Bryan combo or Draper/2MP - and for me Id prefer 2MP over Bryan at this stage.
Also taking Draper out of the ruck and playing him as mainly a forward your kind of robbing Peter to pay Paul - or robbing Peter to pay Bryan - well - you get what I mean..!!
The bottom line is we can’t have all of Draper, 2MP and Bryan in the same team

Not sure that’s true. In 2021 our last good season we had Draper Wright and Hooker (plus Jones as a forward) and that worked. Think it’s about how the other guys fit around them.

 

[ant555]

Not sure that’s true. In 2021 our last good season we had Draper Wright and Hooker (plus Jones as a forward) and that worked. Think it’s about how the other guys fit around them.

Having Walla in the forward line helped. Speed pressure and 34 goals that season and he was on the down slope. Would also say it worked because Hooker was a superior mark at FF and 2MP played FP/Ruck. To play Bryan / Draper / 2MP does not work for me as none are great marks. Draper is the closest and more chance of taking a contested mark at FF. 2MP has to have space on the lead and Bryan is just average. Jones is also an ordinary marking option unless he can float in from the side.

 

[Bjchan13]

No doubt Draper is a lock because of the energy he brings and his ability to compete be it in the ruck or up forward. I guess it’s a case of what do you prefer - the Draper/Bryan combo or Draper/2MP - and for me Id prefer 2MP over Bryan at this stage.
Also taking Draper out of the ruck and playing him as mainly a forward your kind of robbing Peter to pay Paul - or robbing Peter to pay Bryan - well - you get what I mean..!!
The bottom line is we can’t have all of Draper, 2MP and Bryan in the same team

They will trial Draper, Wright and Bryan in the same side at some stage. Could work too in my opinion. Mostly it will come down to Wrights pre season and early form as a full forward because im sure they already see Bryan as number 1 ruck and Draper as number 1 impact Ruck/Fwd. Draper has never had solo full game ruck ability, he's always needed a partner.

The split they might try could be something like

Bryan ruck 60 / Fwd 10 / Bench 30
Draper ruck 40 / Fwd 40 / Bench 20
Wright ruck 0 / Fwd 75 / Bench 25

Only 25% of the game with all 3 on the ground at once

Wright could end up becoming back up but i think the coaches still see the potential of an AFL standard full forward

 

[TheUnicorn]

Roof closed at Marvel, they could go tall.

 

[jdstorm]

Having Walla in the forward line helped. Speed pressure and 34 goals that season and he was on the down slope. Would also say it worked because Hooker was a superior mark at FF and 2MP played FP/Ruck. To play Bryan / Draper / 2MP does not work for me as none are great marks. Draper is the closest and more chance of taking a contested mark at FF. 2MP has to have space on the lead and Bryan is just average. Jones is also an ordinary marking option unless he can float in from the side.

For sure.

Walla + Smith did a lot to make
That function and Jake was in shape and played mostly mid that year. So in practice it was only really 2 slow forwards in there most of the time

Hooker was also dropped after round 19 as he was starting to get really slow.

Not saying playing all 3 will work especially since that would hypothetically ask a lot of caddy as a pressure player and/or resting mid.

Just think it’s not something to rule out this early on

 

[Vindicater]

Personally not going Tsatas until I see how his kicking is going.

Yeah. From reports it sounds improved but we won't really know until the heat of a real match starts.

 

[ant555]

For sure.

Walla + Smith did a lot to make
That function and Jake was in shape and played mostly mid that year. So in practice it was only really 2 slow forwards in there most of the time

Hooker was also dropped after round 19 as he was starting to get really slow.

Not saying playing all 3 will work especially since that would hypothetically ask a lot of caddy as a pressure player and/or resting mid.

Just think it’s not something to rule out this early on

Have to also remember the game has changed a lot since 2021. The all out attack mode makes it hard to have slower players in the forward half.

 

[jdstorm]

Have to also remember the game has changed a lot since 2021. The all out attack mode makes it hard to have slower players in the forward half.

yeah there’s more risk reward with it. That’s for sure.

 

[Bombers36]

This team has all of Draper/Bryan & 2MP in the same team+ Caddy & Jones(SUB) also.
Its tall but could work if Draper, Bryan & 2MP rotate through ruck/forward/bench & Jones plays primarily wing;-


Reid McKay McGrath
Redman Ridley SEH
Martin Parish Duursma
Perkins Langford Gresham
2MP Draper Kako

Bryan Durham Merrett

Bench: Caldwell Hobbs Roberts Caddy
SUB: Jones